With Black History Month in full swing, our social media feeds are probably swamped with content on how to participate in Black History Month-themed events and activities. This type of content isn’t necessarily bad, but some of it can feel unhelpful and a bit performative. So going beyond just performative activism, it’s important to celebrate Black History Month in sincere, meaningful ways — such as engaging with and learning about Black history in the classroom.
As an Education major, many of my classes center around themes of race in the classroom and paving the way for education reform and abolition. As an Asian American woman, I’m aware of my privilege and position as someone who cannot empathize with the unique experiences of Black and Indigenous communities. But I can definitely learn more about these experiences and unlearn what I was taught in high school about US politics and history.
Based on my experiences in the classroom, I’ve considered one way to celebrate Black History Month in the classroom that goes beyond just reading a book written by a Black author or watching a movie about the Antebellum Era. To be fair, there is no “right” way of honoring Black History Month, but there are definitely broad, overarching themes and topics we can explore in the classroom that will allow us to delve deeper into Black history and really understand why we’re honoring it.
One recommendation is to shed light on topics or events within Black history that are not often covered at schools. My high school history education consisted of rote memorization of Civil War battles, exaltations of America as the land of freedom and opportunity, and frequent references to the “American Dream.” Coming to college, I learned about redlining and housing discrimination for the very first time. It was jarring to read and hear about African American veterans being denied the homes they were promised under the GI Bill and the Federal Housing Administration literally dividing and categorizing neighborhoods based on “perceived stability.” These were events in Black history that I had never learned about before but are integral to understanding the current context of this country and the power dynamics still at play.
Learning about these broad, important historical issues is much more fruitful than reading one book by a Black author and calling it a day. Learning about these issues is a process that involves reading multiple texts, having many conversations with different people, and ample time to reflect on the understandings and conclusions reached. So if you have the opportunity to take classes that explore aspects of Black history or the opportunity to bring up Black history-themed topics in your classes, don’t hold yourself back. Then, take what you discussed in class and build upon them by doing more research in your free time and making sure to give yourself time to reflect.
My desire is to see more historical events and issues like redlining being discussed in the classroom, and not just in college, but much earlier. It’s absurd how much time in the classroom is dedicated to teaching about the Revolutionary War and how little is devoted to the history of racism and discriminatory policies. If we wish to honor Black History Month properly by giving it the respect and sincerity it deserves, we need to begin with a genuine desire to learn about Black history and a commitment to unlearning the harmful, inaccurate US history lessons we might have received before college.